721 skip ahead/back freezes picture

[Bogey62]

My 721 started to have problems with the skip ahead/back and fast forward/rewind functions over the past couple of months. If I use any of these functions on certain recordings (not all) the picture will freeze for about 5 seconds and then resume normal playback from the point if should be at.

Also, my Guide stopped coming up altogether! Selecting Guide from the menu or from the remote's button brings up nothing at all. I called D* about this issue and they sent out a new, well refurbed, 721 the other day. While waiting for the replacement unit I dubbed off a bunch of recordings from the malfunctioning 721. When the HD reached about 85 hours of free space remaining, the Guide started working again!

Now I have the "new" 721 hooked up for about 2 days and guess what? The skip anead/back issues are here again on a recording from HBO!

I called D* again and the tech said that there are no reports of this problem from other users (I think that's the standard answer). Well, there's no way that 2 units can have the exact same problem unless it's a software bug, IMHO.

BTW, rebooting the 721 via the front panel button, or the power cord pull, makes no difference on this issue -- the amount of space remaining on the HD doesn't seem to matter either.

Has ANYONE else seen this issue on their 721?

[finniganps]

This HAS happened to me in the past. Rebooting via the front button has ALWAYS worked for me in correcting this problem.

[kingbiged]

I have had this problem ever since they upgraded, I want to say back in Jan 04. It only happens on the Movie channels. I have tried everything also, it works fine sometimes, and then just when you think everything is ok, it does it again. I am refering to the frezing when skipping forward or back.

Maybe something to do with higher picture quality on the Movie channels over others?

[Bob Haller]

I think the recent software is too close to the limits of the box. It acts sometimes like a overworked computer thats been told to do too many things at once. its worse at the top of the hour, when the trickle guide is getting updated.

its sad the 721 coiuld of been so much more, of course this is said aboiut the 921 too.

[Bogey62]

I have had this problem ever since they upgraded, I want to say back in Jan 04. It only happens on the Movie channels.

Yes, I think it is only since L174 and also have only noticed it on HBO recordings.

[Lyle_JP]

It happens whenever a channel has Dolby Digital (which is why it appears confined to the movie channels).

There are a also a number of wierd things that happen to the digital sound stream when using the skip forward and back buttons. Have you ever noticed than when you skip forward, or come out of pause, it can take up to 3 seconds for sound to come back (if using the digital out port), yet that doesn't happen when using the skip back button? Ever had the digital sound not come back at all unless you do a skip-back? The 721 has some weird problems with digital sound and skipping.

[Bill Mullin]

I've complained to Dish advanced support about this problem a number of times over the last 18 months or so. I'm always told that no one else has reported the problem! :mad:

[Bogey62]

Ever had the digital sound not come back at all unless you do a skip-back? The 721 has some weird problems with digital sound and skipping.

I am not using the digital out, but I have noticed the audio problems that can only be fixed with a skip back.

[Bogey62]

I've complained to Dish advanced support about this problem a number of times over the last 18 months or so. I'm always told that no one else has reported the problem! :mad:

I think that is the standard response from tech.

[cmaier]

I had some of these problems with my 721; the skipping problem and the lost guide happened right around the time that daylight savings time switched, and my box refused to notice it. Over the next couple days the skip stopped working right, and, finally, on the third day, the guide stopped coming up.

The software download to fix the DST issue solved all these problems.

[Bill Mullin]

The software download to fix the DST issue solved all these problems.
The skipping problem is still there - you'll see it again! :(

[cmaier]

I have entirely new problems. Friday night I turned off the box around midnight to go to sleep. About ten minutes later my wife and I hear this load, repetitive "click...click" sound. Hard drive crash. Box won't respond to the remote or the front panel power button. I do a smart card reset, and it comes up with the "system failure.... your hard drive failed... please wait" stuff. Clicking won't stop. I unplug the box and call customer service and arrange for a new box.

Next morning, on a lark, i plug the box back in. It does the "reinstalling system" thing and it eventually comes back up and "works" (albeit with all my settings and recordings gone). But the skipping problem is back, and the box is generally laggy (changing channels, moving through guide, etc.)

We'll see how the new box does, if it ever arrives. (Last time they gave me a RA number, they never sent me the actual box because they decided that the software update would solve my problems. nice of them to tell me.)